Folding egg-case.



PATENTED DEG.20,1904. A. BROGKSGHMIDT & P. RYAN.

FOLDING EGG CASE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.9,1904.

2 SEEETS-SEEET 1.

NO MODEL.

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ND. 777,775. PATENTED DBO. 20, 1904. A. BROGKSCHMIDT &-P. RYAN.

FOLDING EGG CASE.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 9,1904. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETSSHBET 2.

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PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST BROOKSOHMIDT AND PATRICK RYAN, OF PIERCE OITY, MISSOURI.

FOLDING EGG-CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent It 0. 77 7,775, dated December 20, 1904:.

Application filed April 9, 1904- Serial No. 202,427.

To a. whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, A eUsT BRooKsoHMIDT and PATRICK RYAN, citizens of the United States, residing at Pierce City, in the county of Lawrence,and in the State of Missouri, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Egg-Cases, of which the following is a full, clear, and lucid speci fication, such as will enable others skilled in.

analogous uses by very slight modifications in 7 their arrangement.

The object of our invention, broadly speaking, is the provision of a case or crate which in its extenuated form will be safe and substantial for the transportation of fragile or other merchandise, such as eggs, and which may be folded or collapsed after being emptied, whereby it may be returned or stored in a small compass of space with all of its parts and fillers therein contained.

A further object is to provide a folding case composed of a minimum of parts, which will be strong and durable in construction, which can be easily and quickly operated, which will be light and easy to handle, and which will provide a safe depository for fragile articles to be transported or stored; and a further object is to provide a new article of manufacture, a folding egg-case which can be manufactured and sold at a comparatively low price.

Other particular objects and specific advantages of our inventionwill appear from the following specification.

One manner of the construction of our invention and that which practice has determined the most practical is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an isometrical elevation of our invention extended as when filled. Fig. 2 is an isometrical elevation of our invention as when empty and collapsed. Fig. 3 is a detail isometrical view of one of the end members of our invention detached. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section of our invention extended, as in Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section of our invention collapsed, as in Fig. 2.

Similar characters refer to and denote like parts throughout the several views of the drawings, wherein the five views described are contained on two sheets of drawings.

In order to make the construction of our invention more clear, we will now take up a detail description thereof in which we will set forth the various parts and their association as clearly and comprehensively as we may.

The numeral 1 denotes the bottom, 22 the sides, and 3 3 the ends, which parts are permanently secured together, forming a relatively shallow box, which is the basic part of our invention. Through the center of each of the ends 3 3 is formed a slot, as 3 and 3, respectively, and secured flush with the inner faces of the ends 3 3 are a pair of tongues r 4" on the member 3 and 4 i on the member 3, substantially as indicated in Fig. 2. Said tongues extend above the members to which they are secured and through the upper ends of each tongue is an eye for the purpose which will presently appear.

The numeral 5 denotes the lid of our case, which lid is of substantially the dimensions of said box which it is adapted to cover. Across each end of the lid 5 is secured a cleat 6 6, respectively, with gains cut thereacross extending to near each end of the cleats, as shown. Formed through said cleats and in the outer center edges of said gains are slots to receive the upper portions of said tongues 45, 4*, 41, and 4:, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Formed through said cleats in the inner center edges of said gains are slots, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, corresponding in size and shape with said outer slots, and the purpose of the last-named slots will presently be explained. Pivoted in the inner central sides of said gains is a two-point hook, (indicated by.7, 7 7, and 7, as shown,) whereby said hooks may be turned to allow one of their points to enter its eye in the respective tongues I, 4 L, and a, as shown in Fig. 2.

In order to increase the capacity of the box,

we now remove the lid 5. We then provide a pair of end members like unto that shown by Fig. 3, having the main portion 8 8 of a length equal to the interior width of said box and of a height substantially three times the height of said box. Secured to the outer lower face of each of said members 8 8 is a block 9 9 of same length, but only substantially twothirds the height of the members 8 8, and secured to the lower face of the blocks 9 9 is a smaller block 10 10 of same length, but only substantially one-third the height of the members 8 8, thus forming the offsets, as shown. Secured flush with the inner faces of the members 8 8 are a pair of tongues 11 11 on the member 8 and 11" 11 on the member 8, substantially as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. Said tongues extend above the members to which they are secured, and through the upper end of each is an eye for the purposes which will later be made apparent. Secured in the center of the face of each of the blocks 10 and 10 is an outwardly-extending loop 12 and 12, respectively. It will now be apparent that the end members may be positioned vertically in their respective end of said box,with the loops 12 12 passing through said slots 3 3 in the end of the box, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4,

where they may be secured by hooks, as thatshown by the hook 13 in Fig. 1.

We now provide a frame 14 of a size to neatly fit the interior of the said box and whose height is slightly less than the interior depth of said box, and its ends are adapted to rest on the tops of the blocks 10 10, whereby it is supported in position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

The numeral 15 denotes a frame of a size to neatly fit the interior of said frame 14 and is of the same height thereof, and its ends are adapted to rest on the tops of the blocks 9 9, whereby it is supported in the position also as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

To the upper inner edge of the two members 8 and 8 is secured an eyepiece, in the eye of which are mounted the links 17 17 to extend across the thickness of the respective members 8 8, and pivoted to the outer ends of the said links is a relatively long strap (such as a strip of metal) 18 18, which extends down and through the said loops 12 12, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. At their point of passing through said loops the straps 18 18 have a notch in their edge opposite to the hooks 13, whereby the said straps may be pushed slightly aside by the hooks to securely lock said straps in position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and hold the frames 14 and 15 in their positions, as shown in said views.

By the above-described arrangement it will be seen that we now haveacase of a capacity substantially triple of'that of the box first mentioned, and it will be seen that the case can now be covered by said lid 5, allowing the fingers 11, 11 11, and 11 to enter said inner slots formed through the cleats 6 6, as shown in Fig. 1, and the hooks 7, 7 7 and 7 may now be turned to cause one of each of their points to enter the eye of the respective tongue 11, 11, 11, and 11, as shown.

In order to provide for packing eggs or the like in our case, we divide the interior into two equal parts by the partition A, and in each portion thus divided may be placed the pasteboard fillers B, each section above the first having a bottomO of same material. When fully complete and of maximum size, the case will appear as in Figs. 1 and 4, in which condition it is ready for shipment,containing whatever desired. It will now be seen that the lid 5 may be removed, the fillers taken out and folded or collapsed, as in Fig. 5, and the hooks 13 turned up, as in Fig. 2. The straps 18 18 are then moved up out of engagement with the loops 12 12 and are turned inward parallel with the inner faces of the members 8 8. The frames 15 and 14 are then lifted up and laid aside. The end pieces are then pressed slightly inward to remove the loops 12 12 from the slots 3 3 after which they are removed. The frame 14 is then placed wholly in the base-box and the frame 15 is then placed wholly within the frame 14. The end pieces are then laid on the bottom of said box, as in Fig. 5, and the partition and fillers are then laid on the latter. The lid 5 is then placed in position and secured, as shown in Fig. 2, thus reducing the case to substantially one-third its former size and containing in this concentrated form all the parts necessary for quickly assembling a full-size case, and it will be seen that the case is now in position for transportation empty, substantially as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. We have in this instance shown a case composed of wood, except the fillers and small attachments; but it is apparent that our case may be formed of sheet metal, if desired, in which instance less space would be taken up thereby and the oflsets would not be so pronounced, or the base-box and lid may be of wood, while said end members and the two frames may be of metal, or other combinations of wood, metal, or other material may beemployed, as desired.

We desire to accentuate the fact that our case is entirely self-containedthatis to say, in either its extended or collapsed condition all of the parts of the case are containable therein and may be carried thereby.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that we have produced an improved case embodying the objects otherwheres referred to in this specification.

While we have illustrated and described the best means now known to us for carrying out the idea of our invention, we desire it to be distinctly understood that we do not restrict ourselves to the exact details of construction shown and described, but hold that such changes or variations therein as would suggest themselves to the ordinary mechanic would clearly fall within the limits and scope of our invention.

Having now fully shown and described our invention and the best means for its construction and use to us known at this time, What we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

In a folding egg-case, the combination, a relatively shallow box having a slot formed through the center of its end members, a tongue secured to the inner face of the end members near each corner of the box and extending thereabove and with an eye formed through the upper portion of each of said tongues, a removable end member detachably secured in a vertical position in each end of said box and resting on the bottom thereof and rising to substantially three times the height of said box, a frame of slightly less diameter than is the interior of said box, a second frame of slightly less diameter than is the interior of the first-named frame,means for supporting said frames by said end pieces, and means for securing the lid over said case in its extended or collapsed position, all sub stantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUGUST BROOKSCHMIDT. PATRICK RYAN.

Witnesses:

JAs. FRENCH, H. KERKEMEYER. 

